Did Russia hack the election?

imageNo, I’m not starting a second career. As of this writing the trumpconspiracy.org domain is available1 and I’m not grabbing it. I thought about it briefly a few days ago, before I heard that the Senate is going to hold hearings on Russia’s role in the recent presidential election. Trump conspiracies are certainly a juicy topic with lies abounding, sealed documents (Trump’s tax returns), Clinton campaign email hacking that almost certainly leads back to Russia, Trump’s business dealings with Russian oligarchs and of course, Trump’s recent selection of a Secretary of State with close ties to Russia.

I decided against a new blogging topic because I’m biased. I got into Obama conspiracies at a time when I had barely heard of Barack Obama. All I could have told you about him in the Summer of 2008 is that he was a Democratic Senator from Illinois who gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention 4 years prior that was well received, but that I hadn’t heard. At that time I supported Clinton. Could Obama have been born in Kenya and thus ineligible? I would have said I didn’t know. I dug in and found that the conspiracy theories surrounding President Obama were utter nonsense. I came to my conclusions initially without much bias, which is why I trust them.

Trump, on the other hand, sets off alarm bells in my head every time he opens his tweet2. I already believe that if it weren’t for the combination of Democratic emails being hacked and fake news, Trump would not have won the election. Whether Russian security services actually altered votes after they were cast is a dubious proposition both because it would be hard to do and because the downside risk of discovery would be far too great.

I’ll be interested in the details coming out of the Senate investigation, and chances are very high that I will trust what comes out of them. I won’t be starting a new blog.

Two quotes from Donald Trump, the first from the Washington Post:

“I don’t believe they interfered” in the election, he told Time magazine this week. The hacking, he said, “could be Russia. And it could be China. And it could be some guy in his home in New Jersey.”

Earlier Trump tweeted, courtesy of CNN:3

Was it a birth certificate? You tell me. Some people say that was not his birth certificate. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. I’m saying I don’t know. Nobody knows.


1As it was last time around, the .com version is taken. Obamaconspiracy.com had a stub of a web site that eventually went away. Trumpconspiracy.com is also “coming soon.”

2Trump is reportedly researching the feasibility of a 140-character State of the Union speech.

3Until I read that CNN page, I had never realized how closely Donald Trump aligned himself with mainstream birther conspiracy theories.  I’ve added it to the site’s Resources page.

About Dr. Conspiracy

I'm not a real doctor, but I have a master's degree.
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46 Responses to Did Russia hack the election?

  1. Northland10 says:

    …every time he opens his tweet…

    😆

    Trump is reportedly researching the feasibility of a 140-character State of the Union speech.

    😎

  2. J.D. Sue says:

    He opened his big tweet again this morning, saying: “Can you imagine if the election results were the opposite and WE tried to play the Russia/CIA card. It would be called conspiracy theory!”

  3. scott e says:

    Northland10:

    “Fundamental Transformation of America Interruptus, mission accomplished, details 1 year from now” shortest state of the union speech ever. also a perfect tweet.

  4. donna says:

    J.D. Sue: He opened his big tweet again this morning, saying: …..

    Can WE IMAGINE if pages of Trump’s tax returns were released to the media (by some 400lb guy in NJ) …. his (OWN) charitable donations, the amount owed to numerous banks, etc.?

    Trump’s supporters would mumble and say “We don’t care” BUT the nearly 54% of the population (and counting) who voted for someone else does care.

    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/133Eb4qQmOxNvtesw2hdVns073R68EZx4SfCnP4IGQf8/htmlview?usp=sharing&sle=true

    A Guide To Donald Trump’s Huge Debts—and the Conflicts They Present

    According to his own public disclosure, Trump, as of May, was on the hook for 16 loans worth at least $713 million. This list does not include an estimated $2 billion in debt amassed by real estate partnerships that include Trump. One of those loans is a $950 million deal that was cobbled together by Goldman Sachs and the state-owned Bank of China—an arrangement that ethics experts believe violates the Constitution’s emolument clause, which prohibits foreign governments from providing financial benefits to federal officials.

    http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/12/guide-donald-trump-debt

    “These are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. The election ended a long time ago in one of the biggest Electoral College victories in history. It’s now time to move on and ‘Make America Great Again.’

    (Note: Trump’s electoral victory was no landslide; he actually won by one of the slimmest margins in U.S. history.)

    http://fortune.com/2016/12/10/trump-twitter-apprentice-russia/

  5. Rickey says:

    donna:

    (Note: Trump’s electoral victory was no landslide; he actually won by one of the slimmest margins in U.S. history.)

    Yes, indeed. In terms of percentage of electoral vote won, Trump’s victory margin ranks #46 out of 58 presidential elections.

  6. donna says:

    Rickey: Yes, indeed. In terms of percentage of electoral vote won, Trump’s victory margin ranks #46 out of 58 presidential elections.

    In order to put the 2016 election in historical perspective, here is the Electoral College total from every election in the past 100 years:

    http://heavy.com/news/2016/11/donald-trump-electoral-college-victory-margin-lead-over-hillary-clinton-landslide-blowout-historic-kellyanne-conway-comparison-other-elections-list-electors-margin/

  7. Cuirious George says:

    “The CIA presentation to senators about Russia’s intentions fell short of a formal U.S. assessment produced by all 17 intelligence agencies. A senior U.S. official said there were minor disagreements among intelligence officials about the agency’s assessment, in part because some questions remain unanswered.”

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-orders-review-of-russian-hacking-during-presidential-campaign/2016/12/09/31d6b300-be2a-11e6-94ac-3d324840106c_story.html?utm_term=.c1544b6b8728

    I’ll be looking forward to the unanswered questions being answered.

  8. Crustacean says:

    Dear Emperor Trump: That’s probably true. Too bad you weren’t bright enough to understand the moral of Aesop’s fable “The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf.” Sad!

    J.D. Sue: He opened his big tweet again this morning, saying: “Can you imagine if the election results were the opposite and WE tried to play the Russia/CIA card. It would be called conspiracy theory!”

  9. urbaindk says:

    I stumbled across this blog while doing some research on the electoral process. The term “failure to qualify” caught my attention and in doing some further searching and I found this post from 2012: http://www.obamaconspiracy.org/2012/04/failure-to-qualify/ Would “failure to qualify” apply if it were found that Trump was aided by the Russians? Obviously there are a lot of variables (was Trump aided knowingly or unwittingly, for example). I’m having trouble seeing how this will all play out with in the confines of the Constitution. Nothing seems to discuss what happens if foreign interlopers hijack the election process and there seems to be no precedent to fall back on. Based on what seemed to be an insightful commentary from 2012 on the subject of failure to qualify, I hope that maybe you all might provide some good discussion on the topic. Thanks!

  10. Curious George says:

    “The CIA presentation to senators about Russia’s intentions fell short of a formal U.S. assessment produced by all 17 intelligence agencies. A senior U.S. official said there were minor disagreements among intelligence officials about the agency’s assessment, in part because some questions remain unanswered.”

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-orders-review-of-russian-hacking-during-presidential-campaign/2016/12/09/31d6b300-be2a-11e6-94ac-3d324840106c_story.html?utm_term=.c1544b6b8728

    I’ll be looking forward to the unanswered questions being answered, the sooner the better.

  11. Keith says:

    urbaindk:
    I stumbled across this blog while doing some research on the electoral process. The term “failure to qualify” caught my attention and in doing some further searching and I foundthis post from 2012: http://www.obamaconspiracy.org/2012/04/failure-to-qualify/ Would “failure to qualify” apply if it were found that Trump was aided by the Russians? Obviously there are a lot of variables (was Trump aided knowingly or unwittingly, for example). I’m having trouble seeing how this will all play out with in the confines of the Constitution. Nothing seems to discuss what happens if foreign interlopers hijack the election process and there seems to be no precedent to fall back on. Based on what seemed to be an insightful commentary from 2012 on the subject of failure to qualify, I hope that maybe you all might provide some good discussion on the topic. Thanks!

    Aide from the Russians doesn’t have anything real to do with ‘qualification’. Age, NBC status, residency, and no criminal record are what the Constitution says about ‘qualification’.

    On the other hand, Congress gets to decide what is a ‘high crime and misdemeanor’.

  12. Keith says:

    The Russians are Coming, the Russians are comming!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    It’s Donald Trump Not Barack Obama Who Is the Illegitimate President

  13. Curious George says:

    “Top U.S. spy agency has not embraced CIA assessment on Russia hacking – sources”

    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-intelligence-idUSKBN14204E?il=0

  14. Cody Judy says:

    BIRTHER RUMORS EVERYWHERE You would think a “rumor” would only be resented if it was affective right? But MSM Obots constantly use BIRTHERS as if we have won something. We haven’t won squat,( but the reasons are shady) manipulations of Corruption in the Judicial Branch.

    LOOK AT THIS- [Punishing Trump for the years the mogul spent publicly questioning whether Obama was an American citizen, which cast doubts on the legitimacy of his presidency. Ah, how sweet the revenge. And how pitiful.][Obama knows the report will likely never be completed, and so the issue of Russian hacking will hang like a cloud – like the “birther” rumors – over the Trump White House.]

    WHAT’s more scary to you? Russian Hacking that happens to exposes Corruption in our Government or a Usurpation of President? Outside Infiltration or Inside Infiltration? I’ll tell you someone inside your house whose not supposed to be there is much scarier than someone outside your house. That’s just common sense Folks.

    http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/12/12/sore-loser-obama-turns-to-russian-hacking-to-delegitimize-trumps-triumph.html

    Tomi Lahren might be on to something here. Russians didn’t force HRC into her pantsuit or her Private Server.

    https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1372909176077195&id=510896692278452

  15. Scientist says:

    “I already believe that if it weren’t for the combination of Democratic emails being hacked and fake news, Trump would not have won the election.”

    There was also the Comey letter about the emails on Anthony Weiner’s laptop that turned out to be either unrelated or duplicates of ones the FBI had already looked at (as though it were surprising that the sender and recipient both have copies of a email).

    I cannot recall ever seeing a law enforcement agency comment on evidence BEFORE having determined its relevance and reliability. And then to come out a few days before the election, with a letter saying, in effect, “Never mind” like the old Gilda Radner skits on SNL is just absurd. Were they in on the conspiracy with Putin? Who knows, but their conduct was reprehensible.

  16. bob says:

    Cody Judy: WHAT’s more scary to you? Russian Hacking that happens to exposes Corruption in our Government or a Usurpation of President?

    One is reality based, i.e., it is the consensus view of the national security agencies. The other is a fantasy perpetuated by sore-loser losers.

    The reality-based one is far more scary.

  17. Lupin says:

    While Russia may be in part to blame, let;s not forget who voted:

    http://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2016/12/13/13848794/kentucky-obamacare-trump

  18. Sluffy1 says:

    United States of America/Population (1916) 102 million = 531 electors
    United States of America/Population (2016) 324 million = 538 electors .. wtf

    donna:
    Rickey: Yes, indeed. In terms of percentage of electoral vote won, Trump’s victory margin ranks #46 out of 58 presidential elections.

    In order to put the 2016 election in historical perspective, here is the Electoral College total from every election in the past 100 years:

    http://heavy.com/news/2016/11/donald-trump-electoral-college-victory-margin-lead-over-hillary-clinton-landslide-blowout-historic-kellyanne-conway-comparison-other-elections-list-electors-margin/

  19. Scientist says:

    Cody Judy: WHAT’s more scary to you? Russian Hacking that happens to exposes Corruption in our Government or a Usurpation of President? Outside Infiltration or Inside Infiltration? I’ll tell you someone inside your house whose not supposed to be there is much scarier than someone outside your house. That’s just common sense Folks.

    The Russians are inside the house, my friend. We all live our lives on-line and that’s where they are hanging out. And yeah that’s MUCH scarier than a President whose father was Kenyan. That’s much scarier than a President born in Kenya with 2 Kenyan parents,would be. Orders of magnitude more scary,

  20. Bob says:

    Hey Trump supporters?

    Where’s the debunking?

  21. H. Keith says:

    Scientist: on Anthony Weiner’s laptop tha

    Not weiner’s laptop. His wife’s laptop. She was Clinton’s top aide at one time.

  22. Andrew Vrba, PmG. says:

    Cody Judy: WHAT’s more scary to you?

    A self-important a-hole who threatens to blow up his own fell church goers, if they don’t listen to him.
    I don’t care if you drop dead next week, or live to be a hundred and six, just so long as someone is there to remind you that you’re a filthy criminal.

  23. donna says:

    Sluffy1: United States of America/Population (1916) 102 million = 531 electors
    United States of America/Population (2016) 324 million = 538 electors .. wtf

    Presidential electors are selected on a state-by-state basis, as determined by the laws of each state.

    A state’s number of electors equals the number of representatives plus two electors for both senators the state has in the United States Congress.[41][42] The number of representatives is based on the respective populations, determined every 10 years by the United States Census. Each representative represents on average 711,000 persons.[43]

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_College_(United_States)

  24. J.D. Sue says:

    Bob: Hey Trump supporters?

    Where’s the debunking?

    —–

    They are too busy trying to explain how the founders wanted to protect the Presidency from foreign influence….

  25. misha says:

    Lupin: let;s not forget who voted

    This video has to be seen to be believed. This is why Trump won:

    https://www.facebook.com/OccupyDemocrats/videos/1347765261983191/

  26. I see that I’m still banned at WND. They don’t like to be caught lying.

    vladimir putin: The final showdown!!!

  27. The Magic M (not logged in) says:

    because the downside risk of discovery would be far to great

    Win-win (or “non zero sum game” as “Arrival” has taught me).
    Either Russia gets the candidate they prefer, or they create chaos.
    Imagine the consequences of “we have to redo the election because hackers flipped enough votes” or just “sorry guys, with all the flipped votes flipped back, Hillary won”.
    At the very least, not doing anything would further undermine people’s trust in the electoral process and the democratic system.

  28. Curious George says:

    vladimir putin:
    The final showdown!!!

    http://www.wnd.com/2016/12/final-showdown-sheriff-joe-slaps-obama-with-new-birth-certificate-bombshell/

    What will Trump say?

    Winning?!

    Haven’t you heard? Arpaio lost the election by double digits. He’s now a loser. And after nothing new is revealed at Arpaio’s final press conference, he’ll be an even bigger loser. No matter how much lipstick you paint on a pig, it’s still a pig. Arpaio will leave office in January as a huge Birther joke, with painted lipstick and a big round clown nose. Now that’s what I call a fitting legacy.

  29. Cody Judy says:

    bob: One is reality based, i.e., it is the consensus view of the national security agencies. The other is a fantasy perpetuated by sore-loser losers.

    The reality-based one is far more scary.

    The Security Agencies you reference are under what Branch of Government? Executive you say? Oh? Whose the head there? Oh.. Obama? Interesting.

    This is why Democrats lost. It’s called GroupThink and a total lack of integrity. Are you upset your own brand or use of identity politics finally failed? If it’s weak to begin with how is it expected to be strong?

    Lupin: While Russia may be in part to blame, let;s not forget who voted:

    Does anyone here take any responsibility or even hold accountibility to Obama and H.R Clinton?

    Not just for The Usurpation of the top foreign diplomatic office Secretary of State represented in Hillary’s Privatisation of the Office, no doubt with Obama’s blessing and even encouragement (pseudonym cover and all) in her Private Server, but with the trajectory of Policy surrounding China pushing them to league with Russia?

    The consensus here is angry mad dogma over reason?

    Who chose to not release his long form birth certificate for 3 years after being Elected? 😂

    Who chose to use a Private Server?

    What if all Russia and China had to hack was Flowers? Would WikiLeaks have had a ounce of credibility? Would Russia have had any credibility saying they conspired for Trump?

    It’s clear Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned in embarrassment and it’s clear the Democratic Primary was controlled.

    The point being look in the mirror for the boogie man. My emails were not hacked by Russia or China and if they were they saw flowers.

    Andrew Vrba, PmG.: I don’t care if you drop dead next week, or live to be a hundred and six, just so long as someone is there to remind you that you’re a filthy criminal.

    The idea here is the small mind at work. Anyone here needing to focus that attention on me 25 years ago truly has no idea what catching a 30 lb. Fighting Salmon is like, but does fish for goldfish with a net at Wal-Mart.

    I simply encourage you all to take one step back from who released what emails and who framed who to see the real action or ROOT of what appears a painful loss.

    That or else this is simply smoke and mirrors and you all secretly pulled the vote for Trump? If so your smoke and mirrors is damning for Obama.

  30. misha says:

    Cody Judy: see the real action or ROOT of what appears a painful loss

    This is the root, as I wrote above:

    https://www.facebook.com/OccupyDemocrats/videos/1347765261983191/

  31. bob says:

    I love it when ex-con Judy lectures others on integrity, taking responsibility, and looking in the mirror.

  32. Keith says:

    bob:
    I love it when ex-con Judy lectures others on integrity, taking responsibility, and looking in the mirror.

    Especially while watching one of the best Cabinets in history being replaced by the worst “Parlor Cabinet” since Andrew Jackson. And these guys are nothing compared to the “Kitchen Cabinet”.

  33. Andrew Vrba, PmG. says:

    bob:
    I love it when ex-con Judy lectures others on integrity, taking responsibility, and looking in the mirror.

    I know, right? Its like hearing someone convicted of sexual assault trying to give dating pointers.

  34. Cody Judy says:

    bob: I love it when ex-con Judy lectures others on integrity, taking responsibility, and looking in the mirror

    Case-In-Point? Dec 8th, 2016

    http://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/secretary-of-state-wants-answers-from-dhs-after-apparent-breach-attempt/474347363

    [ATLANTA – The Georgia Secretary of State is demanding answers from the Department of Homeland Security after an unsuccessful breach to the department’s firewall.

    Secretary of State Brian Kemp talked exclusively with Channel 2 investigative reporter Aaron Diamant on Thursday, saying he was “mad as hell” after what he called a massive cyberattack on the agency’s network Nov. 15, traced back to a United States Department of Homeland Security IP address.

    “It’s outrageous to think about our own federal government is doing this to us,” Kemp told Diamant.]

    [The United States Secretary of Homeland Security is the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the body concerned with protecting the U.S. and the safety of U.S. citizens. The secretary is a member of the President’s Cabinet. ]

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Secretary_of_Homeland_Security

    Now, do you think Obama’s going to fire anyone? 😆 😉

    After GA SoS Brian Kemp went to bat over Obama’s eligibility.. imagine that?
    http://www.obamaconspiracy.org/2012/01/ga-secretary-of-state-the-hearing-is-on/

  35. bob says:

    Cody Judy:
    After GA SoS Brian Kemp went to bat over Obama’s eligibility.. imagine that?

    Ex-con Judy would prefer to imagine a connection between a doomed 2012 ballot challenge and a 2016 post-election “cyberattack.” Rather than, yaknow, acknowledge his repeated inability to examine his own lack of integrity, take responsibility, or look in the mirror.

  36. Kate says:

    donna:
    Sluffy1: United States of America/Population (1916) 102 million = 531 electors
    United States of America/Population (2016) 324 million = 538 electors .. wtf

    Presidential electors are selected on a state-by-state basis, as determined by the laws of each state.

    A state’s number of electors equals the number of representatives plus two electors for both senators the state has in the United States Congress.[41][42] The number of representatives is based on the respective populations, determined every 10 years by the United States Census. Each representative represents on average 711,000 persons.[43]

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_College_(United_States)

    Wyoming has a population of under 600k but gets 3 electoral votes, California has a population of 39 million and has 55 electoral votes. They definitely aren’t proportionate to the population. If we were to go by Wyoming’s electoral votes, California should have 195 electoral votes to their 3 electoral votes. We either have to make the electoral college proportionate to the number of voters in each state or switch to the popular vote where it will actually be one person, one vote. As it is now, the less populated states are given far greater representation in the elections. Alaska has approximately 750k population but also gets 3 electoral votes while NY has a population of 20 million and has only 29 votes. Something really needs to change but it will never happen with the GOP in charge of all 3 branches of government.

    Note-I rounded up the population for each state to 600k and 39 million respectively.

  37. Joey says:

    Kate: Wyoming has a population of under 600k but gets 3 electoral votes, California has a population of 39 million and has 55 electoral votes.They definitely aren’t proportionate to the population.If we were to go by Wyoming’s electoral votes, California should have 195 electoral votes to their 3 electoral votes.We either have to make the electoral college proportionate to the number of voters in each state or switch to the popular vote where it will actually be one person, one vote.As it is now, the less populated states are given far greater representation in the elections. Alaska has approximately 750k population but also gets 3 electoral votes while NY has a population of 20 million and has only 29 votes. Something really needs to change but it will never happen with the GOP in charge of all 3 branches of government.

    Note-I rounded up the population for each state to 600k and 39 million respectively.

    Smaller states are unlikely to allow a constitutional amendment to be ratified that reduces their influence in presidential elections. Its hard to get 38 states to agree to amend the constitution for any purpose.

  38. Dr. Kenneth Noisewater says:

    Keith: Especially while watching one of the best Cabinets in history being replaced by the worst “Parlor Cabinet” since Andrew Jackson. And these guys are nothing compared to the “Kitchen Cabinet”.

    Total sign of the Obama trump transition a nuclear physicist is being replaced by a dancing with the stars loser

  39. Sluffy1 says:

    Joey: Smaller states are unlikely to allow a constitutional amendment

    Smaller states was a nice name for slave states.
    When slavery was abolished so should have the electoral college.

    The EC, a vestige of 3/5ths compromise, cast a total of 138 votes in the 1st presidential election in 1789.
    The population was 4 million. That’s 30,000 for each elector.
    How we get stuck at 540 electors?
    I’m not happy.

  40. misha says:

    Kellyanne Conway: Obama could shut down Trump feud if he loved ‘the country enough’

    Dr. Johnson defined patriotism as “the last refuge of a scoundrel.”

  41. Kate says:

    Joey: Smaller states are unlikely to allow a constitutional amendment to be ratified that reduces their influence in presidential elections. Its hard to get 38 states to agree to amend the constitution for any purpose.

    Unfortunately, you’re all too correct in your assessment. Getting 38 states to agree to anything that might benefit the Democratic Party is simply an impossible task. However, I think the chances could change with redistricting in 2020, especially if Trump is as bad for the country as I’m afraid he’s likely to be.

  42. Joey says:

    Sluffy1: Smaller states was a nice name for slave states.
    When slavery was abolished so should have the electoral college.

    The EC, a vestige of 3/5ths compromise, cast a total of 138 votes in the 1st presidential election in 1789.
    The population was 4 million. That’s 30,000 for each elector.
    How we get stuck at 540 electors?
    I’m not happy.

    The Dakotas (3 Electoral votes each), Wyoming (3), Montana (3), Idaho (4), New Mexico (5), Nebraska (5), Vermont (4), Maine (4), New Hampshire (4), Rhode Island (4), Alaska (4), and Hawaii (4) were not slaves states but together they could block a constitutional amendment from being ratified.
    To abolish the Electoral College we have to confront the political realities of the 21st
    century.
    I could be wrong, but I just don’t see those states with small populations being willing to become less relevant in the electoral process.

  43. Joey says:

    Kate: Unfortunately, you’re all too correct in your assessment. Getting 38 states to agree to anything that might benefit the Democratic Party is simply an impossible task.However, I think the chances could change with redistricting in 2020, especially if Trump is as bad for the country as I’m afraid he’s likely to be.

    I agree with you too.
    Right now the Republicans control 33 governorships and 31 state legislatures. The Democrats have control of both the governor’s office and the legislature in the states of California, Oregon, Hawaii, Connecticut, Delaware and Vermont, that’s it. The rest have bi-partisan splits.

  44. Lupin says:

    Well it’s official; today. You guys lost the Cold War too. Who would have thunk.

  45. Suranis says:

    What? But the party of St Reaganwhowonthecoldwar would never bend the knee to Russia! They are paythreeoats!

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